Two schools in communities were affected by heavy rains and flooding last December have received a consignment of books from the Commonwealth Caribbean Staff Network of the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.
The consignments also included 200 book bags with stationery items for distribution to students in need. The materials were sent to schools in Spring Village and in Dubois. The group worked with JEMS YaCEDI, Tottenham, UK to identify and agree on the schools which would receive the support. The consignments were distributed by the SVG Red Cross Society on behalf of the above agencies.
Through contributions from friends and well-wishers, including High Commissions from the region and publishers such as Scholastic Book Club, the group was able to ship 29 boxes of books and school materials.
Doris Charles, deputy high commissioner of St. Vincent and the Grenadines High Commission, welcomed the support provided to her country and the benefits that the books would bring to the overall development and delivery of education in these rural communities.
“Growing up in St Vincent, more so in the Vermont/Dubois areas, I too did not have access to a wide range of educational materials and many parents in the village struggled to provide the basic educational needs for their children,” Charles said.
“Many parents worked very hard on their farms to assist their children to get the best education possible despite all the competing factors for such limited resources. I am happy that the children in these communities would have access to such rich reading materials. The Commonwealth Caribbean Staff Network and the JEMS YaCEDI Tottenham must be commended for a job well done,” she further stated.
A sincere thank you to our friends in the UK, we all know that at the end of the day we can rely on your help and sincere friendship of our old time friends in the UK.
By the way have we had any help at all from Cuba, Venezuela, ALBA? I am sure if we had we would have heard it called by now from the highest roof tops.